We are comfortable living on the externals. We often go through the motions, do what needs to be done, tick all the boxes and just go with the flow of life. Sometimes we drift with the flow and take everything as it comes. We don’t always look within us, to our own inner feelings, thoughts, hopes and dreams. Our inner voice sometimes screams to be heard. Every healthy and good religion allows us to connect with our inner selves. We do this through prayer, quiet time, reflection, meditation, silence or taking time out to just be.



Last Thursday we had Brother Kevin Crowley visit our school in Col√°iste Pobail Bheanntra√≠ (Bantry Community College). He came as guest speaker during the annual awards night for the school. He is originally from Enniskeane, so the long journey from Dublin was really a trip home for him. Brother Kevin founded the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin back in 1969, to help relieve the hardship endured by homeless people and to help those in need. Since then they have helped thousands of people and their work today is flourishing. At the heart of the Day Centre, is the Capuchin – St Francis ethos of an “open door” policy where people are welcomed and treated with dignity, privacy and respect. Each day they have 300 for breakfast and over 600 for lunch. Everyone is welcomed and treated equally. In his speech to the young people of our school he thanked them for their openness, enthusiasm and energy. He encouraged them to continue doing their best and to continue to bring light and hope where ever they go and whatever they do. Like Brother Kevin once we are willing to turn within, the well never runs dry.

Once we give ourselves a chance to reach within, we are in fact reaching to God and doing our best to understand that God is often our stepping stone in life. When we race through life, jumping from one moment to the next, we can often forget the stepping stones. We can only find them or use them, if we slow down and take it one step at a time. When was the last time you reached within yourself? Every time we reach in, we slow ourselves down enough, to give us a genuine chance of connecting with the energy or presence of God in our life.